Tekken Producer Discusses Wii U

A new Tekken was unveiled alongside Wii U, promising to allow players to use the new controller’s touch screen as a fun and effective way for customizing characters and stages. A new interview with the game’s producer, Katsuhiro Harada, has revealed a little more about what Namco Bandai hopes to accomplish with the game.

When discussing how to best utilize the controller’s screen within fights, Harada mentioned several ideas. The series has utilized multiple screens for years in Japanese arcades, often displaying highlights from other players and nationwide high scores and leaderboards. However, Harada seems to think it might be better to display some sort of live tutorial or guide on the screen, instructing players on moves and tactics much in the way a strategy guide would.

Another major feature they are playing around with is the Wii U’s ability to stream the game itself to the controller. So far Harada has been impressed with Wii U’s latency, which comes in at less than 1/60th of a second. This is significant because Harada is insistent on maintaining the Tekken franchises’ tradition of 60 fps, the holy grail for fighting games that delivers the speed and fluidity needed to perfectly time combos and special moves.

Devil Survivor 2 Summoned to Retail

The latest entry in the acclaimed Shin Megami Tensei series of JRPG’s is now available in North America for Nintendo DS.

In keeping with series tradition, the game takes place in a modern world suffering from an epidemic of demon summonings and attacks. And much like it’s direct predecessor, which was remade for 3DS last year, Devil Survivor 2 uses a battle system that draws equally from tradition turn based RPGs and turn based strategy games. Also back is a plot filled with difficult moral choices that promises multiple endings based on those choices.

The original was well received thanks to the uniqueness of its plot, setting, and battle mechanics, and while Devil Survivor 2 obviously continues on with some of these ideas, the series’ pedigree is quite possibly the best among JRPGs. Also worth mentioning is the fact that this game appears to be among the last major titles headed for Nintendo DS, though the announcement of Pokémon Black and White 2 has given the waning handheld a little extra life.

Nintendo of America Announces Kid Icarus Tournament

Nintendo will kick off the long awaited return of the Kid Icarus series with a tournament leading up to the release of Kid Icarus Uprising on March 23.

Participants will gather at select Gamestop locations (San Francisco on March 8, Orlando on March 11, Los Angeles on March 15, and New York on March 22) and due battle in the new game’s competitive multiplayer mode. Winners from the first three events will be flown to New York where they will compete for ultimate victory and celebrate the game’s launch.